Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE FLAW IN THE SAPPHIRE BY CHARLES M. SNYDER AUTHOR OF "COMIC HISTORY OF GREECE" "RUNAWAY ROBINSON" "SNAP SHOTS" ETC. NEW YORK THE METROPOLITAN PRESS 1909 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright, 1909, by THE METROPOLITAN PRESS Registered at Stationers' Hall, London (All Rights Reserved) Printed in the United States of America Press of Wm. G. Hewitt 24-26 Vandewater St. New York ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Augustine E. McBee A friend who stands since "Auld Lang Syne" To all that's fine related; To him, this little book of mine Is duly dedicated. --Charles M. Snyder. New York, September, 1909. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE FLAW IN THE SAPPHIRE CHAPTER I Not long since there lived, in the city of Philadelphia, a young man of singular identity. His only parallel was the comedian who is compelled to take himself seriously and make the most of it, or a tart plum that concludes in a mellow prune. He was the affinity of two celebrated instances to the contrary. To those who enjoy the whimsies of paradox he presented an astonishing resemblance, in countenance, to the late Benjamin Disraeli, and maintained in speech the unmistakable accent of O'Connell, the Hebrew statesman's Celtic antagonist. For these reasons, until the nature of his business was discovered, he was regarded with interest by that class which is disposed to estimate the contents of a book by the character of the binding, or thinks it can measure a man's ability by the size of his hat. On nearer acquaintance, he was relegated to the dubious distinction of an oddity to whom you would be pleased to introduce your friends if you had only a satisfactory account of his antecedents. He was cheerful, startling, ready and adroit. Until betrayed by his brief but effectual familiarities, it was a curious experience to remark the approach of this singular being and wonder at the appraising suggestion in his speculative glance. Presently you decided that it was the intention of this young man to address you, and, unconsciously, you accorded him the opportunity, only to be scandalized the moment afterward by the query, altogether incongruous in such a promising aspect: "Any old clothes to-day?" And you passed on, chagrined and wondering. For a number of years, while his auditors paused in an attempt to disentangle the Semite from the Celt, there was scarcely a day in which he had not subjected himself to the more or less pronounced hazards of rebuff incident to his invariable query, and there were few citizens of the sterner sex whom he had not thus addressed. Apparently no consideration restrained him.